Growing up in Vermont, Jodi Cilley never imagined that one day she'd be living in Mexico.
“In fact, it took me until I was in my teens to even imagine leaving this area because I just didn't know what was outside of it,” said Cilley, now a Tijuana resident.
After living in San Diego on an adjunct professor's salary, she realized she needed to find a new home.
“I pay for a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath, parking for two cars and [it’s] about a 10-minute walk to the beach, $800 a month,” said Cilley.
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Tijuana has long been a refuge for San Diegans struggling to afford housing. But now, rents are also rising rapidly in the border city.
“It's very demanded right now,” said Sergio Gonzalez, a realtor in Tijuana. “There's a huge demand for housing here.”
Gonzalez says rents have more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.
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“My mother left me a small house, a two-bedroom house and I used to rent it, believe it or not, for the equivalent of $300 a month,” said Gonzalez. “In two years they're offering me $1,500 for the same house.”
Still, according to online rental company Zumper, a similar two-bedroom unit in San Diego costs an average of $3,2000 a month.
“It's still affordable,” said Gonzalez. “It's rising twice as fast, not twice as expensive.”
The key word here is “affordable”
“When I lived in San Diego, everything was so expensive," said Miramar Huerta. “Like going out to eat is expensive but in TJ it's not.”
So despite rising rents and a few drawbacks, which include long cross-border commutes, Tijuana remains a good option for many expats.
“If you're someone open-minded, it's perfect,” said Hueta.
As for Cilley, it's become a place she now can't imagine leaving.
“What an incredible option to even have, you know,” said Cilley. “We live in a city that is next to another country within a 15-minute drive.”
An enticing alternative for some San Diegans looking for a life with less overhead.